Sheet-feeding mechanism



Dec. 1l 1925.

J. P. WRIGHT SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 19, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheetll Dec. 1', 1925.

J. P. WRIGHT SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 19, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet2 Filed Sept- 19, 1923 3 Sheets-She'et 3 @GMW Patented Dec. l, 1925.

UNITED STATES JACOB I. WRIGHT, 0F BARBER'TON. OHIO ASSIGNOR TO THEDIAMOND MATCH GOM- PANY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OFILLINOIS.

SHEET-FEEDING MECHANISM.

' Application filed September 19, 1923. Serial No. 663,534.

To aZZ 'whom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB P. VVificHT, a citizen of the United States,and residentof Barberton, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet-FeedingMechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanism for separating sheet material from astack and `feeding the individual sheets to a suitable apparatus forsubsequent operation, having reference more particularly to mechanismfor successivelyseparating flat sheets of paper from a stack and feedingthem to the operating parts of a wrapping, printing or other machine.

The object of my invention is to provide simple and efficient meanswhereby a stack of material is uniformly supported and clamped; wherebyeach succeeding sheet of the stack is released; and whereby each sheetas rapidly as it is-released is Withdrawn Hatwise from the stack. v

With this object in view the invention comprises various novel featuresof construction and operation, and combinations of parts, which will behereinafter described; the scope of the invention being defined in theappended claims.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a plan of sheet feeding mechanism embodyingmy invention; said mechanisxn being illustrated as associated with apaper working machine.

ig. 2 is a side elevation of the mechanism, showing a section of thepaper working machine.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the paper feeding mechanism, as on theline 33 of Fig. l, showing the parts in sheet releasing position.

Fig. 4 is a partial end elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. V3.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates the bed of a machine, such, forexample, as a packa e wrapping machine, into which sheets o paper are tobe successively delivered in flat condition. In the present instance theintake feed rolls of the machine are indicated at 11.l

The sup orting frame of my improved paper fee in mechanism comprises twospaced apart side members 12 which are conveniently bolted to the bed 10at the receiving end of the paper working machine. Be tween the framemembers is mounted a ver tically-movable table 13 constituting a supp*port for a stack of sheets, as 14. In the present instance this table isprovided on its underside, at its front` and rearward ends, with.transverse supporting bars 15 which are slidably mounted on suitablylocated front and back posts 16, 17, respectively, rising from the basesof the frame members, and which bars, together with the table, aremaintained normally elevated by springs 18 encircling the respectiveposts beneath the bars. The table is connected by means, for example, oflinks 19 with a foot pedal 20 which is suitably-pivoted adjacent thefloor and is adapted to be actuated in a manner to depress the table inopposition to the force of the springs or to permit the return of thetable.

Supported b the forward posts 16 are inwardly exten ing blocks 21 which,overhanging the table, constitute stationary gripp ers against which theforward corner port1ons of the stack of sheets on the table areyieldingly clamped by the upward pressure of the springs 18. Overhangingthe middle of the table is a lever 22 which .is fulcrumed on a tie rod23 connecting the side frame members. The forward arm of this lever isprovided with a foot 24 which is positioned above the stack of sheets ata point midway between the gripper blocks 21, and the rearward arm ofthe lever is extended upward and provided with a roll 25 in engagementwith the race of a cam 26 which is fast on a positively-driven shaft 27having its bearings in the side members 12. The contour of the cam raceis such that at redetermined `.intervals the lever 22 is oscillated in amanner to move the foot forcibly upon and raise it from the top of thestack, the downward action'of such foot being operative to depress thetable with the stack thereon sufficiently' to release the paper from thegripper blocks. (See Fig. 3.)

The forward posts 16 extend well above the table and are reduced toreceive the hubs or sleeves 28 of crank levers whereof the longer arms29 extend forwardly and inwardly and are provided with inwardly andrearwardly depending pawls 30 which overhang the table in proximity tothe respective gripper blocks. The free ends of the pawls are preferablytipped with pads 31 of rubber or other frictional material adapted tobear upon the uppermost sheet of the stack.

'llie sliorte arms 32 of the respective crank levers are connected tolevers 33 which extend rearwardly to the shaft 27 and are formed withfulcrum yokes 3l that slidably embrace the shaft. The levers 33 areprovided with suitably disposed rolls 31 that respectively engage thecounterpartraces of cams 35 fast on the driven shaft, which races are ofsuch contour that the levers are concurrently actuated to effect theperiodic oscillation of the crank levers and their respective pawls. Therelative actions of the elements just described are such that when thestack of sheets is pressed downward by the foot 21 of the lever 22, theangularlydisposed pawls are swung inward in s uch a manner that theirrubber tips bear forcibly against, and push the forwaid c orners of thetop sheet from beneath thegripper blocks, whereupon the foot 24 risesand allows the remainder of the stack to be pressed against the gripperblocks. Thereupon -the sheet 1s bodily removed from the stack ashereinafter described, and the pawls are simultaneously swung to theirprevious or outward position for engagement with the next succeeding topsheet of the stack.

Fast on the shaft 27 are two suitably spaced wheels 36 against theperiplieries of which the stack of sheets on the table is yieldinglypressed by the action of the springs 18, such peripheries being providedwith suitably disposed segmental inserts 37 of rubber or otherfrictional substance, which, when the sheet is released from the gripperblocks as previously explained, bear against such sheet in a manner todraw it flatwise from the stack and deliver it to the feed rolls 11 ofthe adjacent machine.

The operation of the mechanism above described is briefly as follows: Atthe outset, the foot pedal is pressed down to lower the table againstthe action of the springs 18, and a stack of flat sheets is then placedupon the table. This done, the pedal is released and the table with thesheets thereon is raised by the springs until the uppermost sheet of thestack yieldingly contacts with the gripper blocks 21 and the feed wheels36. Power being applied to the shaft 27 the wheels 36 and cams 26, 3 5are concurrently rotated. The smooth peripheral parts of the wheelsrotate idly on the paper, and the cani 26 actuates the lever 22 to causeits foot 24 to bear upon the stack and depress the latter and the tablesufficiently to effect the release of the stack from the gripper blocks,whereupon the cams 35 actuate the levers 33 to turn the crank levers andspring the pawls thereof inwardly and rearwardly in a manner to push thecorners of the top sheet from beneath the gripper blocks. Immediatelythereafter the cam 26 lifts the lever 22 and allows the table and thestack to be raised suiciently by the springs to compensate for thelremoval of the sheet, whereupon the uppermost sheet of the stack islirinly held against the gripper blocks. Coincidentally the fi'ictioiialinserts in the rotating wheels 36 contact with the released sheet andfeed it rearwardly in flat condition from the stack. In like manner each.succeeding uppermost sheet is separated from the stack and fed into theadjacent machine designed for further operations.

It is to be understood that my invention is not. limited to the specificconstruction herein disclosed, as the mechanism may be modified withinthe principle of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim- 1. In sheet feeding'mechanism, the coinbination with a supportfor a stack of sheets, a gripper for a corner of the stack, and meanswhereby relative movement between the support and the stack is effectedto compensate for theremoval of successive sheets from the stack, ofmeans whereby relative movement of the support and gripper is effectedto release the stack from the action of the gripper, means for pushingthe corner of the sheet adjacent the gripper in an angular horizontaldirection to shift the corner away from the gripper, and means forbodily lipmoving the said sheet atwise from the stac 2. In sheet feedingmechanism, a support for a stack of sheets, grippers overhanging saidsupport, means for yieldingly raising the support to press the top ofthe stack against the grippers, means periodically operative to bearupon the stack and depress the same and the support, frictional membersfor bearing upon the uppermost sheet at points adjacent the grippersl`means for actuating said members to shift the underlying portions of thesheet, and means for bodily removing the said sheet flatwise from thestack.

3. In sheet feeding mechanism, a support for a stack of sheets,grippers, overhanging said support, means for yieldingly raising thesupport to maintain the stack against the grippers, a pressure deviceoverlianging the stack, means for periodically actuating said device todepress the stack and the support, means for shifting the uppermostsheet at points adjacent the grippers, and a rotar element for engagingthe said sheet and bo ily removing it fiatwise from the stack.

4. In sheet feeding mechanism, a support for a stack of sheets, grippersoverhanging said support, means for yieldingly raising the support tomaintain the stack against the grippers, a pressure device overhangingthe stack, means for periodically actuating said device to depress thestack and the support, means for shifting the uppermost sheet frombeneath the grippers, a Wheel rotatable upon the stack and having aperipheral portion of frictional material adapted to engage the sheetand draw it atwise from the stack, and means for rotating said wheel.

5. In sheet feeding mechanism, a support -or a stack of sheets, grippersoverhanging said support,'means for maintaining the support normallyelevated with the top of the stack against the grippers, means forperiodically depressing the support to free the stack from the grippers,oscillatory shifting devices adapted to bear upon the u permost sheet atpoints adjacent the respective grip-v pers, means for actuating saidvdevices to shift the said sheet from' beneath the grippers, and meansfor bodily removing the said sheet atwise from the stack.

20 6. In sheet feeding mechanism, a support v for a stack of sheets,stationary gripper members overhanging the support, sprlng e meansyieldingly raising the support and the stack thereon, a pressure leveroverhanging the support, a cam for periodically actuating said lever todepress the support and free the stack from the grippers, oscillatorymembers adjacent the grippers, pawls mounted on said members to bearfrictionally upon the uppermost sheet of the stack, levers carrying saidmembers, means for periodically actuating said levers to swing the saidmembers and their pawls in a manner to shift the sheet from beneath thegrippers, and a rotar element for engaging thesaid sheet and bo ilydrawing it flatwise from the stack.

vSigned at Barberton, in the county. of Summit and State of Ohio this 15day of September A.v D. 1923.

JACOB P. WRIGHT.

